Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-01-13
An UNDERGROUND TRAGEDY.

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A chilly gusts night In the autumn of the
year 49,, short, sharp showers of rain occur.
red at intervals, when the fitful wind lulled
for space, aud allowed the heavy clouds 10
collect In heavy Mass overhead The streets
OF London were siushy, and the pavemcnts
cold and slippery with their coating of soft
mud. At7:30 p. IN, the diurnal rush from
city 10 suhurb had died its usual natural
death. The bearish scramble for the omnibus
was over for the day; 50 also the flood tide OF
human traffic on the Underground Railway,
OF brain toilers in the city only those who had
been deiatnet by unusual causes or by stress
Of work were abroad
Among the stragglcrs who hurried into the
Harrington Street station about the hour men,
TONED, tall man with somewhat bowed
shoulders might have been remarked There
was nothing particularly striking about his
appearanee cave his beard, which was umusu-
I all. Thick and unkempt for these prim times.
His clothes were OF cut and preservation
such as 10 suggest the possession by their
/ weaFeF OF average means lie wore an ordi-
nary overcoat Of dark material, the collar OF
which was turned up; and in his gloveless
hand gloves are out Of place in such wealth.
err be carried an umbrella dry and furled
Cover Street. said the person | have
briefly described, ON STOPPING to prescut his
face al the window Of the ticket Office.
"Whst clsss.''
Wrist" Then. while the clerk was stamp
ing the ticket, the bearded man, with some
deliberation, laid his umbrella ON the ledge
Of the window and proceeded to draw some
money from his pocket. Having paid for and
received bis ticket, he hurried awav
'Hii' shouted the clerk ..youre leaving
your umbrellas. The man came back took
his umbrella, muttered Thank you, IN his
beard. and again hurried away.
Funny customer that solioquized the
clerk. Doesn't use his umbrella, aud doesn't
remember il. good CAMP wasted on an
idiot --sni IN such Weather as this fon',
Meanwhile the absent-minded stranger had
had his tiekst CLIPPED passed through the
gates aud reached the platform. Here he
stood notienless Under the board wait here
for iF't class lie had not long TO wait. In
few woments train drew up al the plst
form. Il twas fairly poople,l in the third class,
and si'arsely in The second, whiie the first
class eompariments ~ The centre Of the train
wegr all unuecuiiel with the exception OF ono.
That one contained solitary man, and into
taat compartment the bearded traveller, after
a hurried gianes at The other carriages. enter.
CT No one else entered the carriage after
mi nian whose movements we are following
few moments and the train moved on 10
hing eross- a very short run from Earring.
tom one OF the shortest, in fact, on The line
The BEARDED man had taken the corner next
Tue door h. had entered and fronting the
engine. His face was turned toward his fel-
ioN-pssseneer; but its expression could not
have been seen through his beard. and even
his eyes were concealed bv bis hat, which nc
had pulled forward The other occupant of
tie compartment sat at the far end. with his
baek topard thr engine lie was middle gcd
very sight IN figure, and veltdressed His
lace was thin, delicate, aud extremely agree
able; bis HAIR both Of head and face was
somewhat grey, short, and carefully trimmed
Altogether this passenger hal an air of neat.
ness and rcfiatfment about him You would
ha,e said at once that he was a gentleman
The Train stopped at Kings Cross. and then
started on its longer run TO Cover Street, AMI
stIii these two men were alone Perhaps the
fpul saiplilrous atmosphere peculiar 10 the
Underground Railway was more pronounced
here, Tor ~ the train moved from the station
The bearded man CIRCULATED "Baht' and
shifted fiom the window half wav along the
seat His seilow-passenger, Who. with his hat
pushed back fem his high white forehead,
Ssas smiling over one of the comic papers,
looked up FOR moment, ami returned TO his
diversion A moment An Innocent. half
surprised glance at the man who sat with
down-turned face almost exactly opposite him.
huf xgsaz all
prompting to vigilance and defence
For the bearded mans baud had crept to his
pocket and his eyes blazing with greed for
crime had risen from the floor aud fastened
upon bis neighbours breast from which the
evereoat had bcea drawn aside. And still
there WAS no instinct 81 danger, no thought
OF ~ a. tn. small man read his last witticism
and smiled his last smile and so smiling re
ceiycd to its hilt ia h 5 breast the sharp fierce
driven knife A short strange. horrible gasp.
the victims last effort at respiration, and
moving Of startled, death-iilled eyes, which.
staring for a moment, with no recognition,
but wondering horror at the murderer, asked,
.'What have ! done TO thee,i' and then the
stricken mans head fell upon his breast and
his life went out
One minute only had passed since the train
lett king's Cross aud time was still With the
murderer Many moments would pass before
Cover Street was reached, precious moments
He bad done the murder: he had still 10 save
himself. He had stood while his victim died,
bent forward and tnoti"ness-eyes hid.ieH
by the muscular contraction Of forehead and
checks, aud The s!ittering white teeth show
ing through the thick beard and mustache He
recovered himself by spasmotie movement
His first care was to throw the comic paper
outof the window. Then he seized the warm
dead body which had slipped down along the
seat and proppcd 1t sitting upright in the
corner, while The still limp fingers of the right
hand he arranged round the handle OF the
knife '-Suicidc, he muttered, glancing
quickly at the effect. ~ clear easel Tempo
rsry insanity Murder impossible on the Un-
dergrouad Railway
Then he stood at the door As the train
emerged from darkness into the light of Cover
Street Station be noticed blood on his right
hand. But he put the hand to his mouth,
and when he withdrew il the stain was gone.
Before the train stopped the murderer looked
back once without shudder, at the still body Of
the murdered man, and then be jumped on to
the platform, shutting the esrriage-door upon
bis work. and The next moment was lost in
the crowd
And the people who elbowed their way to
the gates were shoulder to shoulder with
worse than Cain, hot from his crimei
The train, with its UNCONSCIOUS living freight